Effect of Production Systems on Quality and Chemical Composition of Table Eggs

Physical and mechanical characteristics of Hisex Brown hen eggs from three different housing systems

“…The average force required to rupture Hisex Brown hen eggs from cage housing in all three axes was 44.14 N, which was 12.1% higher than the average force required to rupture eggs from a free-range system (39.37 N), and 17.1% higher than the average force required to rupture eggs from aviary housing (37.68 N). Generally, the research findings were inconsistent and did not provide a clear indication as to which production system provided eggs with the best shell quality (Peric et al, 2016). The average forces required to rupture eggs from cage housed Hisex Brown hen eggs were reported to range between 30.9 and 37.8 N (De Ketelaere et al, 2002), 33.4 and 35.3 N (Pavlovski et al, 2003) and 30.4 and 36.3 N (Trnka et al, 2012.…”

“…These systems influence, directly and indirectly, not only the behaviour, productivity and health of hens but also the quality of their eggs (Tauson, 2005). Consumers have become more aware of farmed animal welfare, consider it a major factor affecting food quality and safety (Alamprese et al, 2011), and are paying attention to the housing systems in which eggs are produced, and a significantly increased interest in so-called "healthy food" (Peric et al, 2016).…”

Sustainability and Quality Aspects of Different Table Egg Production Systems: A Literature Review

“…Several researchers [53][54][55][56][57] state that the quality of table eggs is influenced by production factors such as the age of the hen, genetics, or feeding, and point out that the comparison of the quality of eggs from farms with different housing technologies should be treated with caution. Regarding different housing systems, there is no particular technology which is suitable for the production of eggs with superior quality [58], and the higher price of eggs from alternative housing does not necessarily mean a quality difference similar to that of prices [59].…”

“…Galic et al [61] reported the same result, i.e., the largest and heaviest eggs were produced in enriched cage systems. Perić et al [54] compared eggs from traditional caged systems, omega-3-enriched eggs and eggs from free-range housing in terms of their external and internal properties which affect egg quality, using samples from one of the largest supermarkets. As a result, a significant difference was found in the fat content of egg yolks, which was lower for eggs produced in traditional technology.…”

“…Experts also point out that there may be significant differences in the feeding used in different types of housing systems, which can greatly affect the quality properties of eggs. The observed differences in experiments [54,55,[63][64][65][66]68,70,72,73,76,81] with different diets could also be traced back to feeding parameters. The research results of [75,82] also support these findings, as they claim that differences/changes in feeding affect egg quality parameters even more directly than housing.…”